


Cover Girl

by amanda_jolene



Category: My Mad Fat Diary
Genre: AU, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-15
Updated: 2014-04-15
Packaged: 2018-01-19 12:27:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1469809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amanda_jolene/pseuds/amanda_jolene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rae's in a cover band and Finn is falling hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Make Your Own Kind Of Music

Finn regards cover bands with the same contempt he usually saves for cold tea and Chop’s stupid ideas.

He hates open mic night and turns his back to everyone who gets up on that stage, especially lads with ratty hair and acoustic guitars. Archie is the only one he makes an exception for and even then, he only really pays attention to the original songs and is careful not to roll his eyes when Arch launches into some rendition of Champagne Supernova because while it’s played out and boring by now, Archie is his mate.

The fact that Archie isn’t playing and he’s still sitting here waiting on the next cover band to stage up makes him question his friendship with the entire gang. Not in a real way but he’s definitely unsure of why he’s friends with them sometimes.

“Why don’t we go to-“

“No,” Archie shakes his head. “I told you. My mate, Ray, from the record shop was playing tonight.”

Mate, right. Finn has to take a big gulp of his drink to keep his tongue from asking what kind of mate this guy was (Finn suspected it was a bed sort of mate). “Right but-“

The girls shush him as two people take the stage. The guy is someone they know from school and that guy definitely isn’t named Ray (and Finn is secretly relieved because he can’t imagine Archie sleeping with someone who was as arrogant as Liam Owen). So the name fell to the second person. Finn is picking his jaw off the floor and praying no one noticed. Yeah, ok. So, she’s a girl. Big deal. And yeah, she’s totally cute with her long hair and upturned mouth and he likes her boots, those are nice. And yeah, she’s got some curves he wouldn’t mind taking a trip on and big bo-

“That’s Rae,” Archie tells him. “She works at the record shop. Knows her music.”

Finn tries to shrug, tries to be glib and he reminds himself that no matter how cute she looks, she’s still in a fucking cover band and he’s probably going to have to sit through Liam Owen singing fucking Wonderwall (he’s pleased with his thoughts because it puts a sour expression back on his face). “Hmm.”

But Liam doesn’t sing and Rae launches into Make Your Own Kind Of Music by Cass Elliot and Finn desperately wants to keep his back turned to her the way he does to everyone else, but there’s something so soft and sweet about her voice that his spine moves against his will and he ends up twisted in his chair, hips hurting with the effort of staying planted because he heart wants to see her but his brain is telling him to not be daft.

The place has a one song rule but the applause the pair receive is so thunderous that the guy in charge asks them to sing another. She sings (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin and Finn gives up the fight and faces her completely. He wishes he hadn’t because her eyes are half-lidded and the moan in her voice makes him think she’s singing to a lover and then she catches his eye and smiles and he’s got to put his hands in his lap (and praises God or whatever else is out there that it’s dim in the room). Finn knows music, knows talent, but he also knows that no one’s voice has ever made him feel like he was going to come unglued.

No one claps louder than Finn when they’re finished playing.

“Told you she was good!” Archie tells him over the clamor.

She’s more than good. She’s electric and he’s wrapped up in her, eyes following her movements, heart racing because she’s coming towards them and he’s still slack jawed, still hard from that stupid smile and he turns quickly in his seat, back to her in a bid to catch his breath.

“Alright, Archie?” Finn holds it together pretty well (at least, that’s what he keeps telling himself).

She’s funny and sweet and embarrasses Chop within the first five minutes. He tries to relax, wills his spine to curve and it does for a second but then she asks him a question and his spine is ramrod straight again. “Sorry?” He mutters.

“Oh, I was just asking if you were alright.”

“Um.” Was he alright? He didn’t think so. Well, maybe he was. No, he wasn’t because if were alright, his hands wouldn’t be sweaty and he wouldn’t be gnawing on his bottom lip and he definitely wouldn’t be fighting an awkward boner for 45 fucking minutes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m alright. I’m good. Real good.” Fucking smooth, dickwad. He closes his eyes briefly and when he opens them, she’s still looking at him but she’s smiling a bit. Finn bets she gets this all the time. Lame dudes practically drooling all over her lap. He tries to slouch again, crosses his arms across his stomach, right hand fiddling with his left wrist. “You, uh… you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” “I, uh, you… sounded really great up there.”

“Aw, thanks!”

Aw thanks. Aw. What did that noise mean? Was she acknowledging that he sounds like a stupid, eager puppy and aw, ain’t he cute? He bristles for a moment (because Finn Nelson was a lot of things but cute was not something he wanted to be) but then she smiles wider and he’s smiling back before he realizes in horror that he probably looks like a jack’o’lantern and he ducks his head, pretends he’s rubbing his chin on the shoulder of his shirt.

“You’re super cute.” He perks up, his head whipping back around but he deflates when he realizes she’s talking to Izzy and not him. Of course. Why would she think he was super cute? Just because other girls thought the was good looking didn’t mean she did (but he desperately hopes she does). But he does want her to pay attention to him though he’s not sure why. He didn’t much care for anyone paying attention to him but this seemed important. She seemed important and it was feeling he couldn’t shake.

“So, um,” he tries but there’s a squeak in his voice that tinges his cheeks red. Clears his throat, gives her a sheepish smile. “Do you like, um, Janis Joplin?”

She nods. “Definitely. Me and Bobby McGhee is one of my usual songs but Liam hasn’t mastered it yet, so I had to put it on the backburner. But I have a little show coming up this weekend and if I can get Archie to play for me, I’ll be doing it.”

“Oh, so you and Liam aren’t normally like… together?” Smooth, Finn. Nice play there, buddy. Why don’t you just outright ask her if she’s seeing someone.

“Oh, no. The guy who usually plays with me went off to Uni and Liam is just someone I kind of know. But I’ve been trying to talk Archer into playing with me for a while. Think you could nudge him in the right direction for me?”

There were a lot of things he’d love to nudge in the right direction for her. “Yeah, sure. No problem.”

“You’re a prince.”

He doesn’t mean to beam under the compliment, but he does. And Chop is giving him a look like he knows exactly what’s going on and Finn is two seconds away from putting his fist through the gap in Chop’s teeth when she says, “Well, it’s been lovely, dolls. But I’ve got to scamper.”

There’s disappointment flooding through his veins that he can’t control. He’s torn between following her out like a puppy or asking her not go, but instead he watches her walk out and then turns back to the others, his grump settled firmly into place.

“I saw that look, Finn!” Chop teases.

“Shut up,” Finn sneers. “You going to play with her this weekend, Arch?”

Archie shrugs, pushing his glasses up. “I dunno, yet. I want to… you know, it would give me some exposure and it’d be helping her out a bit. Liam really kind of brought her down tonight. But she plays to some massive crowds. Like… massive.”

“And?”

“And I don’t think I’m… ready for that sort of pressure.”

“Get off it, Archie. You’re a brilliant guitar player.”

“You just want to see her again.”

Finn tries to act offended. He manages to get his brow knitted together, mouth set in a firm line but then his shoulders hunch and he curls in on himself. “Am I that obvious?”

“Transparent, really.”

“She’s just… she’s just…”

“Talented?”

“Beautiful.” Fin shakes his head, rests his forehead on the heel of his hand. “And talented, yeah. Real talented. How have I never met her before?”

Archie shrugs. “Listen… I’ll probably end up doing it. Give her a call tomorrow and see when she wants to practice… and if you want to come along, you can.”

He should at least try to act cool and collected, but his mouth splits in a grin. “Really?”

“Yeah. But I warn you… Rae Earl has been known to chew lads up and spit them back out in a heartbeat. She’s a sweet girl… but she doesn’t take bullshit, understand?”

Finn nods but he only half hears him because he was already trying to plan a mixtape in his head.


	2. Get It While You Can

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe he is a bit of a try hard but he's pretty sure she's worth it.

His dad told him he was a bit of try hard. 

“I am not!” 

“You’ve done something with your hair, I can tell that much.” 

Finn looks at himself in the mirror. Yeah, he had put a bit of something in it but for fuck’s sake, he had a piece of hair that refused to do anything more than just stick up and while Archie liked looking like a twat with those little hairs all over in the back, Finn did not. “My hair was sticking up!”

“And you’ve put on cologne. Might want to ease off it next time.” 

Well, that’s just perfect. He doesn’t mean to slam his bag down on the floor but he does and then he’s wrestling his tee off, mumbling under his breath about the world not giving him a single break. 

“What are you doing?” His dad asks. “I thought you had to meet Arch in 10?” 

“Yeah, well, that was before you told me my hair was ugly and I smelled.” 

“I said no such thing! When did you become such a girl?” 

Finn glares when his dad catches the bottom of his shirt and yanks it back down in place. “Ain’t a girl.” 

“Then this is about a girl, right? Unless you’re suddenly smitten with Archie?” 

There’s a thought. Finn shakes his head and tries to smooth his hair and he’ll be damned if that piece isn’t sticking right back up. Fuck. 

Girls aren’t something he wants to talk about with his dad because he gets the same speech every single time. Some lads get the “No means no” or the “use protection” speech. Not Finn, though, because standard protocol wasn’t standard in their household, not since Finn’s mum ran away with the secretary that worked on the ground floor of her office complex. Finn didn’t really see that he fell in love too fast, but his dad was always warning him about taking his time and not rushing things because he was apt to getting his heart broke pretty damn fast. Teenage emotions were shallow but Finn’s were not and his dad had spent a few nights coaxing his son into talking, to eating, to getting off the damn floor. 

“I don’t fancy Archie.” 

“Then it is a girl.” 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He stoops to pick his bag up but his dad snatches it first. Finn rolls his eyes. “I gotta go, dad.” 

“You were just about to run upstairs and shower. I think you can spare me a moment.” 

“Why can’t you be a normal dad?” Finn groans, trudging slowly behind his father into the living room. 

“Do I look like a normal dad to you?” His dad asks, holding up his arms. 

“You look like a hobo.” 

“Watch it.” 

Both men take a seat on the couch (Dad sinking slowly due to his bum knee and Finn throwing himself down like any good teenage lad would do). “What’s her name?” 

“Rachel. Rae.” 

“Rachel Ray.” 

“No, Rae. Her name is Rachel but she goes by Rae.” 

“Ah, my mistake.”

Finn fidgets, playing with the strap on his bag. “Can we get this over with? She’s 16, met her at the pub when she was singing. She’s Archie’s mate from the record shop, I don’t love her, she probably thinks I’m a twat anyway and I got to meet Archie and can you iron my blue shirt for Gran’s tomorrow?” 

“Sure thing.” 

He takes it as his dismissal and rockets off the couch because he’s got exactly 4 minutes to meet Arch at the pub. But his dad nabs the tail of his shirt and jerks him back down. “Not so fast, boy. Why would she think you’re a twat?” 

“Because I am one. Can I go?” 

“Did she say you were a twat?” 

Finn tries not to roll his eyes because he knows his dad is thinking about when he dated Stacey and the fact that she had verbally assaulted him until he literally could not take anymore (it was the first time Finn had ever yelled at a girl and while his dad didn’t condone such behavior, he silently cheered when Finn yelled “It’s over!”) “No, she didn’t say that at all.” 

“You’re a strange one, Finnley Nelson.” 

“Yeah, well, look who my authority figure is.”

His dad supposes he should be hurt by the words but he knows the boy is only joking, especially when a smile finally cracks his face. “Get on out then.” 

He’s late (as he expected he would be) and Archie is tapping his fingers nervously on the tabletop, fingers drumming slow and then fast until Finn gives him a look. “Are we going or what?”   
Archie clears his throat, tries to sit up a little straighter but slips back down in his chair. “I dunno. I mean, this will be ok, right? The only thing is that she has like actual fans. Fans, Finn. People who follow her around to shows and rip her bloody guitarist to shreds if he messes up.” 

“But you won’t mess up.”

“I’m the nervous sort. Of course, I will.” 

“You don’t mess up when you play here.”

“Yeah… to like 30 people. I’m not talking 30 people here, Finn. I’m talking a large crowd of people who probably don’t even want me to play. She could sing by herself and they’d be happy. It’s too much pressure!”

“Take it down a notch,” Finn mumbles, looking around them. “Didn’t realize you could get that high pitched.” 

“Nervous is all. And don’t be taking the piss out of me, I’m doing this for you.”

“For me?” 

“Yeah, you twat, for you!” Archie pushes his glasses up. “So you can see precious Rae again.” 

“It ain’t like that!” 

“The hell it isn’t.”

“I could go see her if I wanted to. I don’t need you to hold my hand.” 

“Good. Get to it then. She’s at work.” 

“Fine. I will.” 

He grabs his bag off the table and resists doing something really childish like sticking his tongue out at Archie. He doesn’t need Archie to tag along. He can go and talk to her whenever he pleases, right? Right. Because she asked him if he were alright, they had talked about Janis Joplin (for a brief second but still), and she called him a fucking prince. Him. Finn Nelson. Called a prince by Rae. No, he didn’t need Archie. 

But then… then she had asked him to nudge Archie her way. Did she know Archie was gay? Did she fancy Archie? There were a lot of guitarists hanging around so why was she so intent on having Archie to play? Finn reckons it’s because Archie really is just that good but there’s a tingle of doubt in the back of his mind. What if he shows up at the record shop sans Archie and she’s disappointed? Or worse yet… ignores him? 

“Are you coming or not?” He finally asks, gripping his bag. 

Archie lets loose a long suffering sigh. “Yeah, I suppose.”

The record shop is right down the street and Finn tries to make idle talk with Archie but both boys are too nervous to maintain any real conversation so they lapse into silence until they’re standing in front of the building and Archie takes a deep breath. “I can do this.” 

“You can do this,” Finn agrees. 

“I can play one gig with her. No big deal. And you can talk to her without looking like a complete twat.” 

“Right,” Finn nods. “I can- hey!”

“Just saying.” Archie gives a little shrug before pulling the door open. The little tinkle of the bell alerts the guy behind the counter of the their entrance and he’s all smiles and overly friendly (and Archie is a bit friendly back).

“Didn’t expect to see you around today. Thought Tuesday was your usual day in?” 

Finn watches Archie shrug and smile (was he fucking blushing?) and scuff his shoes on the ground. “Yeah, well, Rae asked me to play guitar for her gig Saturday so here I am.” 

He might be going a bit deaf because Finn swears he hears the guy mumble so here you are as he appraises Archie and it makes Finn nervous because this guy is old enough to be their dad. He’s not real sure how gay relationships work as far as age difference goes but he does know the way this guy looks at Archie makes him wholly uncomfortable and he moves to stand between the two and gives the guy a glare. 

“And who is this?” 

“Um, this is my mate, Finn.” 

“A friend, huh?” 

He reckons he should be insulted that this guy thinks he’s gay, too, but if it meant getting this guy to stop looking at Archie like he’s a biscuit, Finn would probably kiss Arch smack on the lips. 

“Hey there!” 

The guy sighs when Archie waves to Rae. She beckons both boys to come around the counter and follow her upstairs. Archie rounds the counter first, his shoulders hunched around his ears and Finn isn’t sure if he’s blushing or is just nervous, but either way, Finn gives the guy one last glare before he takes off after the two. 

The second floor of the building has been gutted and it’s clear they are fixing it up (with a long way to go) but there’s a drum kit in the corner and a smattering of mixed furniture, a few microphones and amps and a soundboard lying haphazardly on a crate (the sight makes Finn wince because those things are ridiculously expensive). 

Archie is a bundle of nerves (and if he’s not careful, his shoulders are going to be above his head in a matter of seconds) and he makes little consenting noises when Rae asks him if he’s ok. He mumbles about tuning his guitar (it’s a ploy to buy time to settle himself) and Finn can tell Rae totally sees through it but she just smiles and says, “Yeah, sure. You alright?” 

And she’s talking to him. “Um, yeah.” He shifts nervously and fiddles with the strap on his bag, swallowing back his own nerves and wishing she didn’t look so cute. Because Finn normally didn’t care for red plaid on girls but she looked so good he nearly had to wipe a tear away and he wishes she wouldn’t smile so brightly at him because it’s making him turn all sorts of shades of pink. 

“I’m fine, too. Thanks for asking.” 

“I, uh, I was just about to ask you-“ 

“I’m messing with you,” she laughs. 

He wishes she wouldn’t mess with him, not when she got her hair up in this messy bun thing (and it totally works for her) and she’s barefoot (he wants to tell her that it’s dangerous because what if she steps on a stray tack?) and man, her hips really look kind of awesome in those black jeans… not that he’s looking at her hips or anything. 

“I don’t think I can do this, Rae.” Archie tells her. “I really don’t.” 

“Oh, don’t say that!” She shakes her head. “Please, don’t. I think Liam is a great player but he’s into…” she pulls a face and shakes her hands and Archie must get it because he laughs but Finn is wondering what sort of music Liam is into that elicits that sort of response (because he will spend the rest of his life avoiding it). “And I’ve been so jazzed about playing with you.” 

She’s pleading with him and when Archie hesitates, Finn almost punches him because you can’t just turn a lady down when she clearly needs help. But at the last moment (maybe Archie heard Finn’s knuckles crack), he sighs and nods. “Yeah, ok. Maybe I can do this. No big deal, right? Like, what, 50 people will be there?” 

“Um, something like that.” She bites her lip and gives Finn a smile as if to say I’m a horrible liar and Finn chuckles a little because Archie really was going to shit himself. 

“Are you sure we have enough time to really practice? Maybe you could get Paul and I could play the next time?” 

“No dice. Paul is playing with another band. Besides, you know my songs. And it’s a really short set.” 

“How short is short?” 

“5 songs…. 6 at the most.” 

“Come on, Arch. It’s not a big deal.” Finn pipes up. “Remember last summer at the park? There were easily a 100 people there.” 

When Archie sort of nods, she beams at him. “You’re right. Ok, yeah. Just let me set my amp up.”   
Finn isn’t sure why she’s getting closer to him (but he’s starting to panic because what if his dad was right? What if he did go overboard with the cologne? What if he did smell?) and he tries to smile but she doesn’t see it because she’s kissing his cheek and whispering “My hero” into his ear and the world tilts and his bones feel a little mushy and he knows he’s grinning like an idiot but he’ll be damned if he could care. 

The first song they ease through is Janis Joplin’s Get It While You Can and Finn knows the song and he’s already awkwardly hard before she even hits the chorus (and he’s sure she knows because she gives him a smile that looks like love and her voice drops a tad and sounds like sex). He fidgets naturally but he’s desperate to stay still around her because he’s so eager puppy, it actually embarrasses him. 

He’s glad when they launch into Bad Moon Rising because it’s a fun song (and there’s nothing even vaguely sexual about it) but he’s still entranced with her voice and her smile and the way she stops and walks Archie through the right chords. And he’s curious why she doesn’t just play the guitar herself and when they take a break and she sits next to him on the couch while Archie runs across the street for food, he has to say something (that doesn’t make him sound like a complete twat). “So, uh, like… why don’t you play guitar at your shows?”

She shrugs a little, rolling her water bottle between her hands. “I’m not that good of a player.” 

“I don’t believe that. Not for a second.” 

“Alright… well, I’ll tell you a secret but you have to promise not to tell anyone.” 

“I won’t.” 

“No, I mean it. This is like top secret and if I tell you this, you’re like automatically my best friend and you have to take this to the grave with you.” He’s a little elated at the whole best friend deal because best friends make the best lovers, right? He laughs a little when she sticks her pinky out. “Pinky promise you won’t tell anyone?”

They’re both giggling when he latches his pinky around hers. “Yeah, ok.” 

“No,” she shakes her head, feigning seriousness. “You have to say the words.” 

“Fine, I pinky promise not to tell anyone.” 

“Alright,” she sighs and they drop their hands (but their pinkies are still looped together). “I have terrible, horrible, crippling stage fright. It’s not so bad when I know the people I’m performing in front of but it’s still pretty bad. If I have someone else on stage with me… then I can pretend everyone is looking at him instead of me.” 

He wants to tell her that some people might look at the guitarist but he hasn’t been able to tear his eyes away from her since they met. 

“It’s stupid, right?” 

Finn shakes his head. “Not at all.” He’s not sure what his brain is doing but he’s pretty sure it’s just handed reigns over to his heart and regardless of the fact that he told his father he didn’t love her, well, maybe that was a teensy lie because there’s definitely something there. And if it’s not love, it’s pretty close. He’s got his teeth clamped, willing his stupid mouth not to say anything dumb but the words slowly start to slip out. “Rae… listen…I-“

“Holy fuck,” Archie bursts in, face red and panting a bit. “I just… I did not want to see that. Ever. Like ever. Oh my God.” 

“See what?” Finn asks. Couldn’t he have a freak out later? Although, admittedly, he was half glad he hadn’t been able to say whatever stupid thing his heart had decided it felt between Janis Joplin and Creedence Clearwater. 

“I don’t… no. I’m not talking about it.” Archie is clearly upset and when he sets the food down on the coffee table, his hands are still shaking. 

“Did Elliot-“ Rae trails off. “Did he…” 

Archie does a half shrug and Rae’s off the couch, stomping down the stairs and all they hear for a moment is Rae’s voice getting higher pitched by the second before a sharp male cry gives way. Finn doesn’t catch all of it but he hears something along the lines of just because he’s gay doesn’t give you a right to flash your tiny before Archie shuts the door. 

“Told you she was badass,” he offers weakly. 

“I think I’m in love.”


	3. Dream A Little Dream Of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He might as well go for the gold.

Archie is nervous. 

So is Finn but he doesn’t say anything because Archie has a right to be nervous. He’s about to get up in front of a growing sea of people (they lost count around 150) and Finn keeps passing him bottles of water and reminding him that while it’s ok to drink all of that water, it has to come out eventually. “And you can’t just leave the set, you know?” 

“I know. My mouth is just dry.” 

“Nerves.” 

Archie pushes his glasses up, mouthing pulling to the side in sarcastic sneer. “Tell me something I don’t know, genius.” 

“And I’m going to assume the sour mood is much of the same.” 

“Well, you know what they say about assuming? It makes an-“

“Alright, boys?”

Finn’s nerves kick into overdrive then and Archie mumbles something about being thirsty, and Finn feels the same way but he’s thirsty in a different sort of way (and mentally slaps himself for the thought). For a moment he thinks she must have been joking with him when she said she had stage fright because she looks completely at ease, but when she links her pinky with his, he feels the shake in her hand. 

“Anything I can do for you?” 

She shakes her head. “Nah. You being here is plenty.”

He doesn’t want to read too much into it because she probably just means it will be nice to have another familiar face in the crowd but the unreasonable part of his brain tells him that she wanted him around simply because she enjoyed him being around. But that couldn’t be right, could it? Because they’d only met twice and even though she claimed they were now best friends, bound by a pinky promise, she couldn’t have been serious… could she? 

Beside them, Archie makes a noise that sounds a whole lot like he’s gagging and they watch as his eyes widen before he sprints towards the bathroom in the back. “Nerves,” Finn supplies. 

Rae lets go of his pinky and sticks her hands into the pockets of her jacket when the tremor in her fingers worsen and she tries to smile but fails so spectacularly that she turns away from him, bottom lip trapped between her teeth. “I probably should have gotten someone else. I know Archie is terrified of big crowds… and I pretty much just pushed him into this. Which makes me the worst friend in the history of friends.” 

“I don’t think it makes you the worst,” he tries to joke but it falls flat and he reminds himself that there is a reason he leaves all the talking to Archie. He tells himself that maybe his next move is stupid but before he can over think his actions, he drapes an arm around her shoulders. “Archie is fine. He’s always been the lad with pre-game jitters, so I don’t think this is anything different than that. Let him yak all his nerves up and he’ll be good as new, but I’d watch how I hug him because he’s drank 6 bottles of water in the last hour. He might pop.” 

She laughs a bit and he tries to remember to breathe when she leans into his shoulder. “He’s not the only one who probably needs to vomit some nerves.”

“You’ll be fine. You’re the best singer I’ve ever met. Better than Oasis.” 

“Now you’re just flattering me.”

He’s not sure exactly what clouds his brain and overrides the filter between his thoughts and mouth but he finds himself blurting out, “There’s lots of things I’d like to do to you. Flattery isn’t one of them.” 

Her mouth pops open about the same time his does and he’s stumbling over himself because goddamnit, he did not mean that. Well, no. He did but he didn’t mean to say it because it was totally out of line and he’s so sorry that-

But she’s laughing and he doesn’t mind that she’s laughing at him because it seems to ease her nerves so he just blushes and tries to hide his face in the collar of his shirt. “I’m an idiot.”

“A cute idiot,” she corrects. 

Before his brain can process the fact that she called him cute, Archie is back, looking peaked but determined. “Let’s do this,” he tells Rae. 

She tries to hide her smile and makes a grand sweeping motion towards the stage. “After you, my dear.” 

Archie squares his shoulders and picks up his guitar before near marching on. She turns to Finn then, eyes still sparkling. “How do I look?” 

Spectacular is the first word that comes to mind. Her dress is covered in skulls and mermaids and it’s not the usual sort of print he’d find so damn good looking on a girl, but she’s cute as a button in it with her little green granny sweater on. “You look wonderful.” 

“You better watch it, Finley. A girl could get used to those sorts of compliments.” 

“A guy could get used to giving them.” 

She’s being called and there are cheers from the crowd, her face lighting up. “Kiss for good luck?” 

When she turns her head to the side a bit, he figures she means on the cheek but he’s already made a complete ass of himself once today- might as well go for the gold. “You’re too talented to need luck.” And with that, he lets one hand touch her waist while the other cups her elbow and he kisses her square on the mouth. It’s a quick kiss, the kind that reminds him of the first time he kissed a girl (Archie’s cousin, Gwen, who shared her jelly beans with him when they were 6). Over in a flash but something new and exciting because he’s never been unsure if a girl liked him or not, and even though she’s smiling at him when he pulls away, he’s still not sure what he means to her… what that kiss meant to her. 

“Unexpected,” she tells him.

“Unwanted?” 

She smoothes the invisible wrinkles out of her skirt. “Not entirely.” 

But not entirely means he’s probably messed it up. Damn, if he weren’t just a stupid boy after all. He’d never been so forward with a girl before and of course he’d have to start now with the one he truly adored. Forget the mix tape in his bag, forget asking her on a date. He’d blown that all to hell and back. 

“Stop fretting,” she laughs, her hands smoothing over his shoulders. “You did good, boy.”

She kisses him then, softer still, his bottom lip caught between hers and his heart is thudding so frantically, he’s sure she could probably see it through his shirt. They both hear her name being called again and she whispers that she has to go and he manages a nod. 

They are wonderful. 

Despite his nerves, Archie plays like a professional and plays every song with a precision that Finn had no idea the boy possessed. He’s relaxed and comfortable on the stage, his mouth quirked in a never ending smile that has several girls in the audience swooning (if they only knew). 

And Rae… well, she’s so fantastic and beautiful and her voice is so clear and sweet that Finn has to put a hand over his heart to physically restrain it from beating out of his chest. She’s perfection in a way he can’t comprehend with a voice that embodies everything that could be right in Finn’s world if she’d only give him a chance. He can’t pay attention to the people around him and his beer is left forgotten their entire set. 

The last song is supposed to be California Dreaming but she whispers something to Archie and he nods, grinning as he finds Finn out in the crowd and raises his eyebrows. Rae sheds the granny sweater perches on top of the barstool, ankles crossed daintily before she starts her last song. 

Stars shining bright above you  
Night breezes seem to whisper ‘I love you’.

Archie doesn’t play. Finn isn’t sure if he was supposed to or if he’s just as entranced as everyone else by the soft timbre of her voice. It take Finn a second to realize she’s looking at him, a smile on her face and he sways a little in his seat, feeling light headed because this is all new for a seventeen year old boy. He’s used to dates at the pub and making out behind buildings and sex in the backseat of his car. But he’s got to start figuring out something new and better because this… this… 

This was their song.


End file.
